Fluid logic circuit mechanism



O 9, K. BRANDENBERG FLUID LOGIC CIRCUIT MECHANISM Sheets-Shet 1 FiledAug.

FIG. I

INVENTOR KARL ABRANDENBERG BY ATTORNEYS.

0d. 29, 1968 K BRANDENBERG 3,407,834

FLUID LOGIC CIRCUIT MECHANISM Filed Aug. 6, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet FIG5 weFIG! 1 a 2 V116 2 Vl/f 3 3 t 1 1 20a Ma KARL ABRANDENB ERG BY ?/ZW 9ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,407,834 Patented Oct. 29, 1968ABSTRACT or run DISCLOSURE Mechanism for connecting fluid logic circuitscomprising a base plate, a circuit control module and a cover platewhich are stacked together and adapted for the mounting thereon of fluidlogic valve units, porting blocks and the like. The base plate has afull pattern of perforations and so does the circuit control module, thelatter being capable of having slots cut therein from one of itsperforations to another to provide lateral fluid conducting slotsdefined by the sides of the slots and those surfaces of the base plateand the cover plate next to the circuit control module, thus providing asimple and inexpensive means for effecting fluid connections betweenports of the various valve units and porting blocks.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my copendingapplication, Ser. No. 479,758, filed Aug. 16, 1965.

This invention relates to a fluid logic circuit mechanism which providesa system that allows fluid logic circuits such as those powered withcompressed air or the like to be built from components without the useof tubing or piping except that which delivers fluid to the mechanism orcarries fluid away from the mechanisms, all fluid interconnections on acircuit board on which a plurality of valve units and circuit portingblocks are mounted being accomplished in the construction of the boarditself.

One object of the invention is to provide a circuit board whichcomprises a base plate, a circuit module of gasketlike character, and acover plate, any desired number of valve units and circuit portingblocks being mounted on the assembly of the three elements justenumerated, the circuit module being designed as a dual function elementto-wit: the usual sealing function and an interconnecting fluid circuitfunction. As such, the circuit module for each individual circuitboard-valve unit-porting block assembly provides the interconnectingpassageways between the various valve units and porting blocks mountedon the base plate.

Another object is to provide an assembly of base plate, circuit moduleand cover plate with a plurality of valve and porting block units heldagainst the base plate by clamp means extending therefrom and throughthe base plate, circuit module and cover plate so that all of theelements just enumerated are held assembled in stacked relation.

Another object is to provide the circuit module of gasket-like materialand to provide certain ring seals so that the base plate, circuitmodule, cover plate, valve units and porting blocks are held assembledin fluid tight relation.

Still another object is to provide a fluid logic circuit mechanism inwhich there is the possibility of various combinations to give thenecessary versatility in fluid logic functions comparable to electroniclogic functions and wherein the valve units may operate from an airsupply at 20 p.s.i.g. to 150 p.s.i.g. which is usually available infactories and the like.

A further object is to provide a circuit board-valve unit system forindustrial applications such as are required in automation, and toprovide such system simplified in respect to installations wherepresently logic functions are performed with conventional valves pipedtogether, or where logic functions are accomplished electrically withswitches and relays and then converted into pneumatic signals. Otherapplications are possible in numerical control because all logicfunctions required for comparator circuits can be performed with thelogic elements of the herein disclosed mechanism.

Still a further object is to provide an arrangement in which mountingthevalve elements on a circuit board of the proper design, and particularlywith respect to individual design of the circuit module and circuitboard, connects them automatically to the circuit and sealing is assuredby the force of clamp screws for each valve unit and porting block.

An additional object is to provide a fluid logic circuit mechanismwherein the logic elements can be mounted on a circuit board as well asto sub-bases which allow marketing of assemblies as ported valves, asmanifolded valve groups and as complete logic functions.

Another additional object is to provide a fluid logic mechanism in whichfluid circuit boards may be designed for combining valve units for logicfunctions such as OR, AND, NOT, NOR, NAND, MEMORY, FLIP-FLOP,DIFFERENTIATOR, TIME DELAY and the like, and wherein properly designedvalve units for each of the logic functions may be mounted on a circuitboard and the circuit module designed in relation thereto forinterconnect ing the proper passageways in the desired sequence ofoperation of the valve units, circuit porting blocks being provided towhich outside piping may be connected as by copper or plastic tubes andfittings therefor.

A further additional object is to provide a fluid logic circuitmechanism comprising a base plate, a circuit module against the baseplate, and a cover plate against the circuit module wherein the baseplate has a recurring pattern of fluid connection perforations for fluidpassageways of fluid logic valve units and circuit porting blocksadapted to be mounted on the base plate in alignment with selected onesof such patterns, the circuit module also having a recurring pattern offluid connection perforations aligned with the base plate perforationsand having fluid conducting slots connecting some of the fluidconnection perforations of the circuit module with each other to serveas lateral fluid connections between various of the base plateperforations, the recurring pattern of fluid connection perforationspermitting the mounting of porting blocks and various types of valveunits at different selected positions on the surface of the base plate,the pattern being repeated in one direction and also laterally of suchdirection if desired.

Still a further additional object is to provide an assembly of metalbase and cover plates, and a resilient or gasket-like circuit module,wherein the base plate may be relatively thin as it serves merely thepurpose of a seal plate for the valve units and circuit porting blocksin relation to the circuit module whereas the cover plate is relativelythick to resist distortion upon the tightening of clamp screws extendingfrom the valve units and porting blocks through the base plate, circuitmodule and cover plate.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of myfluid logic circuit mechanisms, whereby the objects above contemplatedare attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in myclaims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a representative stack ofelements constituting my fluid logic circuit mechanism and comprisingspecifically a plurality of valve units, a pair of circuit portingblocks, a base plate, a circuit module and a cover plate;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a circuit porting block with sideporting;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views thereof on the lines 3-3 and 44respectively of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a circuit porting block with topporting;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view thereof on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 6 showing a circuit crossoverblock;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 6 showing a circuit orificeblock;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a 4-valve assembly having two porting blocks(the same as FIG. 1) wherein three of the valve units are removed andportions of a base plate, a circuit module and a cover plate are eachshown in plan view, a portion of the base plate being broken away toshow the circuit module and circuit slots thereof, and a portion of thecircuit module being broken away to show the cover plate;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line 1010 of FIG.9 showing the mounting of a valve unit on the circuit board assembly andthe connection of outside piping thereto through a circuit portingblock; and

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view to show symbolically a pair of the valveunits which are interconnected with each other.

On the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference character BP toindicate a base plate, CM 21 control module, and CP :1 cover plate of mycircuit board assembly. The plates may be of any suitable metal orplastic, and the circuit module of rubber-like material for sealingcompressibility and ease of the cutting of lateral passageways thereinas required. Preferably, the circuit module is formed of a materialcompressing cork particles or the like, covered with neoprene, Buna N,or polychloroprene, to avoid excessive lateral displacement into theports and passageways of the assembly as experienced with rubber orrubber-like material alone.

In FIGS. 1, 9 and 10 valve units VU2, VU3, VUS, and VU6 are shown, and apair of porting blocks FBI, and PB2. The base plate BP as shown in FIG.1 is illustrated as of a size for six valve units, the outlines anddivisions between valve units being indicated by dash lines 13. For eachvalve unit and/or porting block there are five perforations in the baseplate which may be numbered directly on the base plate itself such as 1,2, 3, 4 and 5. The perforations 1, 2 and 3 are indicated 10 (base platefluid connection perforations). The perforations 4 and 5 are indicated12 (base plate clamp screw perforations) The control module CM likewisehas five perforations for each valve unit and/or porting block similarlynumbered 1 through 5. The perforations 1, 2 and 3 are nurnbered 14(control module fluid connection perforations). The perforations 4 and 5are numbered 16 (control module clamp screw perforations). Certain ofthe perforations 14 are connected by circuit moduple lateral fluidconnectiOn slots 18, 18a, 18b, 18c and 18d. The control module CM issupplied in suitable unit size (such as the six-unit size illustrated)and with the five openings 14 and 16 for each valve unit and/or portingblock to be mounted on the base plate BP. These openings 14 and 16, ofcourse, are in alignment with the five openings 10 and 12 in the baseplate for each unit and porting block, and at the time of assembly of acomplete valve unit-circuit board assembly, the proper openings 14 ofdifferent valve units may be connected by cutting the slots 18, 18a,etc., as required.

The cover plate CP is. illustrated as having cover plate clamp screwperforations 22 already formed and mounting screw perforations 49 aroundits periphery. The elements CM and BP have matching mounting screwperforations 49a and 4% respectively. Three outside fluid connectionsare illustrated by way of example (tubes 20, 24 and 26, FIG. 9) to theporting blocks PBl and PB2. The tube is connected by the slot 18a toport 1 of the valve unit VUS as represented in FIG. 9 while the tubes 24and 26 are connected to the port 3 of valve unit VUS and the port 3 ofvalve unit VU3 by slots 18 and 18d respectively in the control moduleCM.

Means are provided for clamping the entire assembly of valve unitsand/or porting blocks, base plate, control module and cover platetogether such as threaded studs or bolts 30 extending from the valveunits and porting blocks and through all the perforations numbered 4 and5 of the plates and control module. On the lower ends of the studs orbolts clamp nuts 34 are screwed. Thus, the base plate is held inintimate contact with the lower surfaces 32 of the valve units and/orporting blocks (which surfaces are in a common plane) and the controlmodule CM is held in compression between the plate BP surmounted by thevalve units and/or porting blocks and the plate CP. The control modulethus serves both as a seal between the two plates and as a means toprovide interconnecting fluid passageways between desired No. 1, No. 2and No. 3 ports of the various valve units and porting blocks. The valveunits and porting blocks may be sealed to the plate BP by the use ofring seals such as O-rings as shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 10 also shows the platesBP and CP, and the control module CMextendedthe distance indicated 46 for the purpose of providing anchorageto a control panel or the like shown at 48, mounting screws being usedto mount the assembly on the control panel and spacers 44 being providedto clear the lower ends of the bolts or screws 30 with respect to thepanel. The valve units may be designed to perform various logicfunctions, such as the one shown in FIG. 10 which performs the logicfunction OR as shown in my copending application Ser. No. 513,215, filedDec. 13, 1965, and which is a double check valve of specificconfiguration. The ports numbered 1 and 2 are inputs and the port 3 isan output. The input 1 has a valve seat 41 and the input 2 has a valveseat 43, a diaphragm 42 of rubber-like material normally seating againstboth when there is no flow to either input. When there is flow to inputNo. 1 (from tube 20) the diaphragm 42 will open with respect to the seat41 and there will be output flow through No. 3, slot 18 and tube 24.When there is input from No. 2 (lateral slot 1811) the diaphragm 42 willbe forced away from the seat 43 and there will again be output flowthrough No. 3. Thus, the double check valve shown performs the logicfunction OR. Each valve unit comprises a body 36 and a cover 38 as shownsuitably designed for the two inputs and the single output.

Similarly, and AND logic function can be accomplished by a 3-waynormally closed valve having two inputs and one output, a NOT logicfunction can be accomplished by a 3-way, normally open valve, a NANDlogic function can be accomplished by an OR valve plus a NOT valve. AMEMORY logic function can be performed by a 3-way, normally closed valvewith retaining feature, and a FLIP-FLOP logic function by two OR plustwo NOT valves. Other logic element types of valves with appropriatevalve functions can be provided for DIFFER- ENTIATOR, TIME DELAY and thelike. The TIME DELAY valve, for instance, may be provided by a pneumatictimer valve unit plus an AND or a NOT unit wherein the two are in serieswith each other and the interconnection between the one and the other isby way of a lateral slot in the control module CM.

In the foregoing specification it will be obvious that I have provided aflexible fluid logic circuit mechanism that can be readily assembled toperform various logic functions in series or parallel .or in any otherdesired combination with a minimum of piping, the only required pipingbeing that extending to and from the logic circuit mechanism assembly.The arrangement is such that it may readily fit the requirements ofbinary logic having the logic functions defined by presence or absenceof fluid pressure. Whilel have indicated pneumatic pressure, it is alsopossibleto usethe mechanism for hydraulic pressure andthe disclosedmechanism is accordingly quite versatile and adaptable for use in manydiversified systems using the disclosed basic assembly of base plate,cover plate, control module valve units and porting block hereinillustrated by way of example, I,

An inspection of FIG. 1 shows a recurring pattern of fluid connectionperforations in the base plate BP and 14 in the control module CM. Sixsuch patterns are shown, two of which are aligned in one direction, twoof which are aligned with the first two but in a direction lateral tosuch one direction and the other two of which are aligned with the firsttwo and likewise in said direction lateral to such one direction.Obviously, this pattern may be repeated as many times as necessary forcomplex installations, and each pattern is capable of having a valveunit or porting block mounted thereon. The valve units and portingblocks can be of various types and placed in selected positions becauseof such recurring pattern, the positions being selected in accordancewith the requirements for the fluid controlling slots 18 cut into thecontrol module CM. This arrangement of recurring patterns permits greatflexibility in laying out and fabricating a fluid logic circuit assemblyand permits a ready change of types of valve units and porting blocks,and positions thereof, to improve the fluid circuit arrangement bycutting new control modules, and otherwise facilitates the fabricationof a complete operating unit for a given purpose.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show how the passageways are arranged in the portingblock FBI (or PB2) so that connections can be made to either of twofaces of the block depending on its position on the base plate BP.Whenever any port in the block connects with a perforation 1, 2 or 3 ofthe control module which is not fluidically connected by a slot 18 inthe circuit, the port of the block need not be plugged. On the otherhand, since there are two ports at two side faces of the block connectedto a port in the lower surface 32 of the block, when a circuit is madeto one of the ports the other one must be plugged to prevent leakage ofthe fluid.

The circuit porting block PB3 in FIG. 5 has top porting and an internalpassageway arrangement for connecting its top port 52 to all three ports1, 2 and 3 in the bottom surface 32. The pa:sageway bears referencenumeral 54,

A porting block P134 is shown in FIG. 7 which may be termed a cross-overblock, accomplished by means of a passageway 56 connecting the bottomports 2 and 3 together. In FIG. 8 an orifice block is shown in which anorifice 58 connects the bottom ports 1 and 2 and an orifice 60 connectsthe bottom ports 1 and 3. Thus, various arrangements of porting blocksmay be provided for different circuit installations and the portingblocks PB3, PB4, and PBS are merely examples. 0

FIG. 11 shows symbolically a pair of the valve units of the type shownat VUS in FIG. 10 (OR valves) and the connections to them and between asshown in FIG. 9, a supply pipe 28 being shown for the port 1 of thevalve VU6.

Some changes may be made in the constructlon and arrangement of theparts of my fluid logic circuit mech anism without departing from thereal spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is may intention tocover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanicalequivalents which may reasonably be lncluded withm their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fluid logic circuit mechanism, an assembly comprising aplurality of valve units and porting blocks having base surfaces in acommon plane, a base plate against said base surfaces, a flat circuit:module against said base plate and a cover plate against said circuitcontrol module, means for holding said valve units, said porting blocks,said base plate, said circuit control module and said cover plate inassembled stacked fluid tight relationship, said valve units and portingblocks having fluid passageways terminating at said base surfaces, saidbase plate having a complete pattern of spaced fluid connectionperforations, some of which are aligned with said fluid passageways ofsaid valve units and said porting blocks, said circuit control modulehaving a complete pattern of spaced fluid connection perforationsaligned with said fluid connection perforations of said base plate, saidcircuit control module also having fluid conducting slots extending fromsurface to surface thereof whose ends terminate at certain of saidcircuit control module perforations and which serve as lateral fluidconnections etween said fluid passageways of said valve units and saidporting blocks, and corresponding perforations of said base plate, andfluid conducting means communicating with said porting blocks andthereby through certain of said circuit control module perforations andcorresponding perforations of said base plate with only those fluidpassageways of said valve units required to receive fluid from anddeliver fluid to sources outside of said assembly.

2. A fluid logic circuit mechanism according to claim 1 wherein saidvalve units and porting blocks have ning seals coacting with said baseplate at the ends of and surrounding said fluid passageways of saidvalve units and said porting blocks adjacent said base plate.

3. A fluid logic circuit mechanism according to claim 1 wherein saidmeans for holding comprises at least two clamp screws for each valveunit and porting block, said clamp screws extending through said baseplate, said circuit control module and said cover plate, and saidcircuit control module being resilient for sealing engagement with saidbase plate and said cover plate.

4. A fluid logic circuit mechanism according to claim 1 wherein saidcircuit control module is of readily cut material for facilitating theformation of said fluid conducting slots depending upon requirements fora given circuit board assembly.

5. A fluid logic circuit mechanism according to claim 3 whereinregistering perforations are provided in said base plate, said circuitcontrol module and said cover plate "for said clamp screws.

6. A fluid logic circuit mechanism according to claim 3 wherein saidbase plate is relatively thin for flexibility and said cover plate isrelatively heavy to act as a rigid base for said circuit control module,said base plate, said valve units and said porting blocks.

7. An assembly for use in a fluid logic circuit mechanism comprising abase plate, a control module against said base plate and a cover plateagainst said control module, means for holding said base plate, saidcontrol module and said cover plate in assembled stacked fluid tightrelationship, said base plate having a full pattern of fluid connectionperforations for fluid passageways of fluid logic valve units andporting blocks, said control module having a lftlll pattern of fluidconnection perforations aligned with said base plate perforations andfluid conducting slots extending in the plane of said control modulewhose ends are aligned with certain perforations of said base plate andserve as lateral fluid connections between various of said base plateperforations, said porting blocks having passageways communicating withonly those perforations of said base plate required to receive fluidfrom and deliver fluid to sources outside of said assembly, and fluidconducting pipes communicat ing through said passageways of said portingblocks with said last mentioned perforations of said base plate.

8. A fluid logic circuit mechanism according to claim 7 wherein saidmeans for holding comprises cap screws extending, some through saidvalve units, said base plate,

7 .8 said control module and said cover plate, and others 3,244,1934/1966 Loveless l37--608 through said porting blocks, said base plate,said control 3,09 ,144 6/1963 OXley 251-367 XR module and said coverplate. OTHER REFERENCES R 5 Steiner: Universal Modular System forPneumatic efelences Clted Switching Controls, July 1964, 11 ProcessControl and UNITED STATES PATENTS Automation 7, pp- O 3,025,879 3/ 1962Hupp 137-608 WILLLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner. 3,225,779 12/1965LOOtZOOk 13781.5 0 H COHN, Assistant Examiner.

